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Social structure, reasonable gain, and entrepreneurship in Africa.

Authors :
George, Gerard
Kotha, Reddi
Parikh, Priti
Alnuaimi, Tufool
Bahaj, Abubakr S.
Source :
Strategic Management Journal (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.); Jun2016, Vol. 37 Issue 6, p1118-1131, 14p, 3 Charts, 2 Graphs
Publication Year :
2016

Abstract

In the context of desperate poverty, characterized by households at subsistence level that experience economic loss and social fracture, explanations for why individuals undertake entry into entrepreneurship are limited. We find that individuals rely on their social relationships to enable entrepreneurial activities that have the potential to create a reasonable income gain. In a sample of 1,049 households in rural Kenya, we test whether the disintegration of social structure attenuates entrepreneurial behavior. When coupled with factors such as income loss, gender of the household head, and access to communal resources, social structure plays a pivotal role in entrepreneurial action. We propose that the search for reasonable income gain is a key driver of entrepreneurial action at subsistence levels, thereby adding to behavioral explanations of entrepreneurship. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
01432095
Volume :
37
Issue :
6
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Strategic Management Journal (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
114491632
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2381